District 1 Supervisor Patrice Horstman — April/May Newsletter 2024

Hello District 1 Residents,

Summer is in the air! And this means it’s a time for family fun! For those in the Flagstaff area, the ongoing First Friday Art walks and the Saturday evening Movies on the Square are always a crowd pleaser. The City of Flagstaff presents its free Concerts in the Park, combining opportunities for family picnics and music at our neighborhood parks. Check out the schedule, grab the kids and your friends and I’ll see you there.

The summer also brings the Sunday Farmer’s Market and the festival season in Flagstaff. This year the festival season started with an ARTx week complete with music, art installations and events throughout the City. More events to come include Hullabaloo June 1st -2nd, Pride Parade and Festival on June 15th, Juneteeth Celebration at the Murdoch Center on June 15th, The Museum of Northern Arizona’s Heritage Festival from June 22-23, the 4th of July Parade and Concert at Fort Tuthill on July 4th, and Barks and Brews on August 24th—just to name a few. Of course, Coconino County caps off the summer with the County Fair during the Labor Day weekend. Williams and Tusayan also have summer filled events and amazing July 4th activities. It’s also time to get out and explore the incredible outdoor recreation opportunities available to us in Coconino County. Remember to recreate responsibly and follow any Forest Service alerts and closures.

I’m pleased to get this newsletter out before the summer gets into gear. I need to report that I will be changing the newsletter format starting with my July newsletter. It will still be every 6 weeks and contain information to keep you informed on District 1 and Coconino County activities. However, the County has undertaken computer updates to provide greater security for our County government. This new system doesn’t contain my preferred newsletter application. So, the newsletters may look different, but the information provided will continue. If you are not on my email list, please contact my District Director, Cindy Soqui. Of course, the newsletter will continue to be available through both Instagram and Facebook.

Summer in the Northland offers a marvelous time for all. I hope to see you out and about. Thanks for your readership and working together to create the community where we want to live and where we want to raise our children.

Onward together.

Patrice

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Andy Bertelsen as the County’s next County Manager. Deputy County Manager Bertelsen will assume his new role effective July 1st. Current County Manager, Steve Peru, will continue to serve the County as special consultant to Bertelsen and will assist in the transition and serve on special projects and initiatives for the County.

The transition of Bertelsen as the next County Manager commenced some time ago when County Manager Peru urged the board to adopt a succession plan to ensure a smooth transition in the top management position at the County. Peru had previously hired Bertelsen back to the County from his position as Flagstaff Public Works Director. Bertelsen rejoined the County as part of Peru’s management team over 2 years ago. Bertelsen, like Peru, has had an extensive career serving Coconino County that has spanned over 20 years. Starting as an intern for the County, Bertelsen has also served as County Public Works Director, Interim Assistant County Manager and County Planning and Budget Manager. As Supervisor Horstman noted, “ Andy‘s strong background in financial planning and department management will bode well in carrying on the business of Coconino County.”

County Manager Steve Peru has served Coconino County for over 3 decades. Peru started as an intern and worked his way to County Manager, holding almost every other position in between. Over three years ago, Peru was coaxed back to Coconino County to lead the County during some of its most challenging times. As Supervisor Horstman stated, “Steve is Mr. Coconino County. His love for the County and our communities are on display every day.” Horstman cited Peru’s leadership during Covid, the emergency response to devastating wildfires (Raphael, Tunnel and Pipeline), management of over 50 separate post wildfire flooding events, overseeing $100 million of flood mitigation projects, redrawing of election boundaries during the re-districting process, developing an elections department, building an election warehouse, and more. Horstman concluded by saying, “words do not adequately convey the depth of gratitude we owe Steve, nor do they convey the service Steve provided to our County.”

For more information about Coconino County leadership visit www.coconino.az.gov/605/meet-the-managers.

For decades, National Forest managers in Arizona have been working to reduce the risk of wildfires through landscape scale forest restoration efforts on over 2.4 million acres on the ponderosa pine forests in Northern Arizona located on the Kaibab, Coconino, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto National Forests. This immense forest restoration project is known as the Four Forest Initiative (4FRI) and is intended to reduce forest fuels, promote forest health, maintain wildlife habitat, increase plant diversity all by using both mechanical thinning and prescribed burns. It is also the intent of 4FRI to create and promote forest industries to assist with the financial cost of on- going restoration efforts. This forest restoration effort, which started in 2010, is intended to span over 20 years.

To assist with this ambitious restoration project, a stakeholder group was established made up of the U.S. Forest Service, representatives from state-county-local governments, environmental groups, recreational and sporting organizations, forest industry representatives, university forest management professionals, and other interested parties. Coconino County is a member of this stakeholder’s group with active participation by Coconino County Forester, Jay Smith, County Flood Control District Director, Lucinda Andreani, and Supervisor Patrice Horstman.

4FRI’s mission was enhanced when President Biden and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service), released a report, “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis; A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests”. In January 2022, the Forest Service selected 10 initial priority landscapes in eight states for funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The 2.4 million acres of the 4FRI landscapes were selected as the top priority landscapes in the country, with a commitment of $160 million over several years for treatment of 300,000 plus acres.

The cost, the immensity of the goals, and the need to meet National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) standards, reduced the speed of restoration efforts. However, in 2024, with NEPA requirements having been largely met on the 4FRI landscapes, forest restoration efforts have accelerated. The Forest Supervisor of the Coconino National Forest shared the May 2023 report which showed the Coconino National Forest as the 2nd highest timber producing forests (from forest thinning restoration projects) in the country and the Coconino is on pace to offer 190,000 ccf of timber for 2024. Further, the Coconino and the Kaibab National Forests have set records for acres treated, through both managed wildfire and prescribed fire, for this fiscal year. Year to date, the Coconino has treated 51,661 and the Kaibab has treated 45,896 acres. Even though there are many more acres yet to be treated, it is noteworthy that no western National Forests have achieved the acres of restoration accomplished by the 4FRI landscapes.

The upper Rio de Flag forest restoration treatments are part of this 4FRI commitment efforts, with six different project areas totaling over 12,000 acres being committed for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire efforts in the next several years. The current estimation to treat the six projected areas is approximately $26 million. The work has already commenced and will continue through this summer and the next two fiscal years.

Coconino County Flood Control District and the Coconino National Forest have committed approximately $13 million for 2023 restoration projects. The Forest Service has selected Perkins Timber Harvesting to begin work in the Wing East area (2,604 acres). The Nature Conservancy has been contracted to treat over 2,053 acres in the Hoch and Little Wing area. Forest restoration contracts for Derffer (2,586 acres) and Wing West (4,865 acres) are expected to be offered in October. ( See map for project designation zones.)

The Wildfire Crisis Strategy through BIL has provided a historic commitment of funds for the restoration of our National Forests. The forests of Northern Arizona, through 4FRI, have benefitted greatly from this commitment. It is essential that this commitment by the Forest Service, in partnership with counties, local governments, private organizations and non-profits continue so that together we can create healthy forests and build resilient communities.

The County received notification that Coconino County Flood Control District was awarded $19.3 million dollars in federal protect grant through the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost Saving Transportation ( PROTECT) grant to complete the flood mitigation projects for the damage done to Highway 89 during the Tunnel Fire and post wildfire flooding. And, even better news, the County match, required as part of the PROTECT Grant, was paid through a $3.7 million Arizona SMART Grant from the Arizona State Transportation Board.

The Energy Fuels, Inc Pinyon Plain Uranium Mine, is located on Forest Service property within the Baaj Nwaavjo I’Tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument and situated six miles from the south entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. The mine is located at the base of Red Butte, one of the Havasupai’s most sacred sites, and sits just above the aquifer that is the sole source of drinking water for the Havasupai home of Supai, located at the floor of the Grand Canyon. The mine continues to extract uranium rock, which sits on an ore pad at the mine site, pending a hauling agreement with a trucking company to move the ore to the White Mesa Mill processing plant in Blanding, Utah.

Although a specific haul route has not been identified by the company, it is likely the the hauling route will be along State Highway 64 near Tusayan, and south through Valle and towards Williams and picking up Interstate 40 east through Flagstaff to state Highway 89 and then north to Highway 160 to Blanding, Utah. This route passes near or through various municipalities, including Tusayan, Williams, Flagstaff, Blanding (Utah) and through the Navajo and Hopi Nations.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors join the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, Hopi and others in opposing the mine. The Board of Supervisors and Supervisor Horstman have continued to urge that, at a minimum, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Arizona Department of Environmental Protection (ADEQ), and the Forest Service review, update, and if necessary, amend the 1986 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the mine utilizing current data and updated scientific studies.

Coconino County has also taken a lead on organizing a uranium working group consisting of representatives of the mine; tribal members for the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, and Hopi nations; regulatory agencies from both the state and federal government including EPA, ADEQ, ADOT; the State Mine inspector; the U.S. Forest Service; Coconino County; municipalities of Flagstaff, Tusayan, Williams; NGO’s and nonprofits with an historical relationship to the mine. This working group meets regularly for the purpose of sharing information and concerns related to mining and hauling operations including sharing emergency response plans. The representatives of the mine have been sharing operation and hauling information and have been working to coordinate and collaborate with others on their emergency response plans to increase safety along the haul route.

In order to underscore what is at stake with the mining operation, the Havasupai Tribe invited representatives from the EPA, ADEQ, and Supervisors Horstman and Fowler to tour the beauty of Supai and to see, firsthand, the pristine blue green waters that flow from the limestone aquifer to Supai and create the cascading waterfalls including Havasupai and Mooney Falls. Supai is a paradise on earth. As Supervisor Horstman has repeatedly said, the government must ensure that the science and environmental safeguards are correct and adequate, or we risk losing the ancestral home of the Havasupai people and potentially contaminating one of the most sacred and beautiful places on the planet.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors designated a 21 mile stretch of Lake Mary Road as a Recreation Corridor. Proclaiming the stretch from milepost 338.5 (just beyond the Flagstaff city limits) to milepost 317.5 (South Mormon Lake entrance) as a Recreational Corridor better assures the safety of runners and cyclist utilizing Lake Mary Road. The designation comes with additional signage, improved maintenance including sweeping of the road and shoulders, installing a centerline rumble strip, and increasing patrolling and enforcement of the corridor by the Coconino County Sheriff’s office.

This Recreation Corridor designation came after considerable input from Flagstaff’s biking and running communities. Often described as an iconic road valued by local recreation enthusiasts as well as by some of the elite athletes in the world, Lake Mary Road has become a magnet for high altitude training for world-class runners, cyclist, and triathletes. Hypo2, a high altitude training camp in Flagstaff, trains some of the finest athletes and teams in the world, provided training data on Lake Mary’s use, citing training utilizing the road by 44 countries and by over 356 Olympic and Paralympic medalist. NAZ Elite Executive Director Ben Rosario and former Team Run Flagstaff Board Member, Todd Schultz, also touted Lake Mary’s use as a high altitude training road and pointed to the economic benefits reaped by the County.

Public Works Director, Christopher Tressler, along with former Supervisor Matt Ryan, Supervisor Horstman and the County Sheriff’s department had numerous meetings with members of the biking, running and high altitude training community who provided the County with data and safety studies and assisted the County with the Recreation Corridor designation. Supervisor Horstman praised the community involvement of the biking and running communities and called this type of collaboration essential for local government to address the unique needs for our communities. Horstman stated, “Lake Mary corridor is a treasure used by our local athletes, residents and by the whole world.”

Tressler noted that the Recreation Corridor designation and the safety and signage changes represents a continuation of previous improvements to Lake Mary, which included $26 million from Federal Lands Access Project (FLAP) funds and County matching funds. These funds were used to pave and widen the shoulders along portions of the road. Tressler is hopeful that a future FLAP application will provide funding to widen the shoulders along the Mormon Lake section of the road and possibly allow for the installation of separated multi-use pathways. Additional future potential improvements also include pavement markers on the road’s shoulder to designate every 1/10th of a mile and coordination with the US Forest Service to create designated parking areas to discourage vehicles from parking on the roadways shoulders.

Valle, Arizona is a small rural community located in Coconino County Supervisory District 1, at the junction of US Route 180 and State Route 64. Valle is located 30 miles from Williams and 22 miles from Tusayan. A gateway community leading to the Grand Canyon, Valle has often been considered a bedroom community for those working in Tusayan and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. A resurgence of community identity and expanding businesses opportunities in Valle prompted Valle residents to petition for a name change to Grand Canyon Junction, a name many felt more distinctly described this small and growing Grand Canyon community.

Unfortunately, the powers that be at the Arizona Board on Geographic and Historical Names denied the re-naming, but the entrepreneurs and visionaries in Valle were not to be deterred. Community members lead by the enthusiasm and vision of Miranda Baldosky, who was raised in Valle and returned home upon graduating from NAU, and other community members obtained a donation of an acre of land off 180, where they envision the future construction of a community center and post office. Coconino County and Supervisor Horstman want to be a part of Valle reaching for success and the County and Horstman will be working with the community to develop a new County Area Plan to help guide the future of Valle.

Water and the limitations on its availability, as well as a desire to preserve the special rural characteristics of Valle, have resulted in a trend towards sustainable building practices and homes that maximize rainwater catchments, utilize solar energy, and permaculture gardens, all of which promote community resiliency and sustainability. As Miranda Baldosky describes it, “Valle is a community promoting innovative alternative lifestyle choices, offering pathways to a more meaningful, responsible and interconnected ways of life.”

Supervisor Horstman had an opportunity to meet with a number of Valle residents and tour homes that exemplify sustainability and innovative alternative lifestyles that allow for living both responsibly and “off the grid”. Horstman also toured the star-gazing resort of Clear Sky which utilizes individual sleeping pods, called sky domes. The resort caters to those truly wanting to get back to nature and to exploring the night sky.

No trip to the Valle area would be complete without stopping by Raptor Ranch, formally Bedrock City. Supervisor Horstman stopped by this iconic landmark from the 1970’s which is now owned by Troy Morris and his wife Debbie Morris. Raptor Ranch, like the name signifies, features raptor flight demonstrations and birds of prey. It also has a small petting zoo and an opportunity to feed a “goatasaurus”. Amazingly, Raptor Ranch is also lovingly and accurately recreating Bedrock City. Those who grew up with Fred and Wilma Flintstone and Barney and Betty Rubble will be pleased to see the neighborhood being restored by a local artist.

Raptor Ranch, a mere 20 minutes from the south entrance of the Grand Canyon, also offers an RV campground and glamping tents. Raptor Ranch is an example of the economic opportunities of being a gateway community. Stop by and enjoy the fun.

Yabba-Dabba-Doo!

The Cheshire neighborhood got creative about improving street safety when the neighbors helped paint a large 7,000 square foot art design on Fremont Boulevard, adjacent to Cheshire Park. The asphalt art project was made possible through a grant received by the Greater Flagstaff MetroPlan to use art to reduce vehicle speed and improve safety. MetroPlan partnered with the City of Flagstaff, Creative Flagstaff, and Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy to help with the design and to oversee the large community undertaking. The party also used the artistic creativity and mural building expertise of two local artists, Kaylee Quick and Dana Kamberg. They drew the street design and provided a paint by numbers approach for community members to fill in the designed spaces with the proper paint color. The neighbors selected a riparian, water themed design which reflected the unique area of Cheshire Park its neighborhood.

Supervisors Horstman and Jeronimo Vasquez, along with Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett, FALA Director of Curriculum and Instruction Janeece Hines, and Creative Flagstaff Interim Executive Director Julie Comnick, laid down some of the first paint strokes. Over a hundred community members, young and old, participated in the street painting. Supervisor Horstman and County staff helped keep the project moving forward by handing out popsicles.

Supervisor Horstman recommends that you take a slow drive down Fremont Boulevard so you can check out this community art project.

Supervisor Horstman, serving on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona Resource Advisory Committee (AZ RAC), meets regularly with BLM AZ and the AZ RAC members to provide advice regarding the planning and management of BLM lands in Arizona. Most recently, this has included reviewing and providing input on draft recreation business plans intended to modernize and increase recreation fees at five Arizona BLM sites, including: the Kingman Field office, Lake Havasu field office, the Arizona Strip field offices, Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area, the Phoenix Districts Recreational Shooting Sites, and the Vermilion Cliffs National Monuments Canyon/Coyote Butte Special Management Area, and White Pocket.

The AZ RAC, in reviewing these business plans and increase in fee proposals, strives to find the balance between providing public access and establishing reasonable fees that reflect the increases in operation and maintenance cost, as well as contribute towards the infrastructure needs of these public lands. 100% of recreational fees collected at these Arizona sites are reinvested directly back into the local recreation programs, which allows these sites to expand and improve recreational opportunities. Further, over the past five years, visitation to public lands in Arizona has increased from 4.9 million to 6.8 million. Supervisor Horstman noted that the BLM (and the Forest Service) has not increased its recreation fees in over a decade. Horstman stated, “rising costs, infrastructure needs, the increase in public use, and the need to improve and provide amenities, justifies an increase in recreational use fees.” The AZ RAC will continue to study the revised management plans and the increase in fees and will vote on these plans at an upcoming AZ RAC meeting. Horstman and other AZ RAC members continue to urge the BLM to market recreation passes (including the America the Beautiful Pass) and publicize “free” admission days to assist the opportunity of public access for all. The BLM also noted that besides these fee areas, there are over 12.1 million acres available for free public use.

The BLM/ AZ RAC also serves as an advisor to the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and as such, the AZ RAC received management plans and fee proposals for various fee management sites on the Coconino National Forest, Tonto National Forest, and Prescott National Forest. The Forest Service is facing similar concerns regarding rising costs, extensive infrastructure needs, and a large increase in public use. For the same reasons the AZ RAC supports BLM management plans and fee increases, the RAC also supported fee increases at various fees sites in the National Forests.

What is abundantly clear is that we love our public lands and the use and visitation to our public lands has substantially increased over the last 5 years. Not only have our user fees not kept up with market conditions, but the federal government has, for decades, failed to address the aging infrastructure and the needs of our public lands including law enforcement and emergency response. To continue to enjoy our public lands and to continue our stewardship of these lands, we must, as a country, make the financial commitments necessary so that future generations can experience these natural and cultural treasures.

In recognizing the increased pressures on public lands from both increased public use and climate change, the BLM has announced a new Public Lands Rule which places conservation and recreation on an equal field with other uses of public lands, including extraction activities like mining and grazing. The BLM has acknowledged that BLM lands are to be used for many purposes. This new rule prioritizes land health and resilience of ecosystems.

Please visit youtube for more information:

BLM Arizona welcomes your input on draft plans to modernize management of recreation sites (youtube.com)

Supervisor Horstman, was re-elected by the County Supervisors in Arizona’s 15 counties along with Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline to the Western Interstate Region (WIR) Board. WIR is affiliated with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and is dedicated to the promotion of public lands, economic development, and the promotion of western interests. Supervisor Horstman also continues her service as a member of the NACo Public Lands steering committee and as vice-chair of the Outdoor Recreation Public Lands subcommittee.

WIR held its annual conference in Mariposa County, California, immediately adjacent to Yosemite National Park. Mariposa County, like Coconino County, is a place of immense beauty including large forests, waterfalls, outdoor recreation opportunities and public lands. Like Coconino County, Mariposa County’s economy is heavily based on recreation and tourism, and has similar challenges associated with being a heavily forested public lands county which has experienced both past and continuing risks of wildfires and post wildfire flooding.

Included in the conference was a tour of the National Park including fire and storm damage at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. This included discussions of forest health, fire resiliency, forest restoration, and management. Supervisor Horstman attended an additional tour of the Sierra National Forest and meetings with the Forest Superintendent and U.S. Forest Service representatives. This part of the tour underscored the necessary partnership between the Forest Service and County for effective public lands management including conserving environmental resources, fostering outdoor recreation, active forest restoration, and wildfire response and recovery.

These conferences promote a clear understanding of the challenges facing county officials and allow for valuable exchange of information and ideas. WIR also provides important advocacy at the federal level on issues facing the west including forest health, public land management, compensation for the loss of state property tax revenue due to public land status through Payments in Lieu of Taxes ( PILT), and Secure Rural Schools (SRS), strengthening intergovernmental relationships with federal agencies, and preserving and protecting public lands.

Every astronaut who walked on the moon has trained in Flagstaff. The open landscape and rugged rock formations of the area duplicate the moonscape. Not surprisingly, NASA is once again looking to Northern Arizona to train the next generation of moon bound astronauts in its Artemis Space program. Supervisor Horstman joined Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett for the public announcement of the partnership with NASA, USGS Astrogeology Science Center, and Babbitt Ranches to help the United States return to the moon.

Babbitt Ranches, with its open landscape and terrain, offers the perfect site for training and for NASA to coordinate activities to test space suits, communication equipment and the moon rover. Getting hands-on, boots-on-the ground experience on a field that replicates the lunar surface enhances the training experience and helps ensure our country’s successful return to the moon.

Since 1886, Babbitt Ranches has been an active cattle ranch. Babbitt’s “cowboy essence” values includes a commitment to community, land stewardship, sustainability, and renewable energy. This philosophy has made Babbitt Ranches one of the most innovative ranches in the country. Intermixed with its 8,000 head of Hereford cattle, Babbitt Ranches partnered with SRP to develop a large scale solar facility and with NextEra Energy Resources for an innovative wind project with a capacity for up to 161 megawatts of wind energy. So, it just makes sense that Babbitt Ranches would partner again with NASA to provide an astronaut training field. Driving both cattle and moon rovers across its landscape, Babbitt Ranches is doing it all.

AZ Daily Sun captures event:

Rehearsal on the range: Astronauts train north of Flagstaff in mock missions | Local News | azdailysun.com

The Flagstaff Armory hosted the annual Stand Down event. Local veterans enjoyed a day devoted to recognizing their service to our country. It was a privilege to be part of this special day to honor the sacrifices made by our military veterans.

The Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC) celebrated the return of the annual Cesar E. Chavez Breakfast at the American Legion with a rousing speech by Cesar L Chavez, grandson of the civil rights and farm labor leader. The organization focuses raising awareness of the contributions and history of the Hispanic community in Coconino County through research, public projects, and consultation. Currently, they are creating a living history project centered on the outsized contributions made by the many Hispanic employees whose jobs were considered essential during the Covid-19 pandemic. Supervisor Horstman enjoyed seeing so many County employees and residents in person, and joins CHAC in recognizing the many Hispanic City and County employees who worked throughout the Covid pandemic to keep our communities safe. ¡Si Se Puede!

Housing Solutions of Flagstaff provides a comprehensive approach to the issue of unhoused residents of Coconino County. Supervisor Horstman was pleased to join the community at the annual breakfast fundraiser where Individuals told compelling stories about how having a safe, affordable place to live truly changed their lives. The event raised some $40,000, enabling Housing Solutions of Flagstaff to continue the work of ensuring that all families have access to good housing.

The Flagstaff STEM City Celebration at Fort Tuthill on April 27 was a fabulous opportunity for the community to explore the exciting world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Residents engaged in hands-on activities as the event featured educational and career opportunities within the STEM fields. This unforgettable experience celebrated Flagstaff’s title as “America’s First STEM Community” and illustrated our commitment to knowledge, innovation, and community collaboration. Supervisor Horstman celebrates the role Flagstaff STEM City plays in making Coconino County a place where we want to live and raise our families.

Coconino County recognized the 50th annual Earth Day at Bushmaster Park on April 20th. Supervisor Horstman and the Board of Supervisors joins the community in celebrating our beautiful and fragile earth and advocating for good stewardship of our land and resources.

Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget announced Jeremiah Smith of Coconino High School as Coconino County’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and Emily Cartwright of Eva Marshall Magnet Elementary School as the Rookie Teacher of the Year. Supervisor Horstman congratulates the winners and the nominees. The dedication and commitment to our children exemplified by these teachers enhance our community and make Coconino County a wonderful place to raise a family.

Coconino County’s High Country Humane Shelter recently celebrated its 5-year anniversary. The event included a tour and dedication of the Garrison Brown Cat Adoption Center and noted that $26,000 was donated to the shelter in honor of Mr. Brown. Executive Director Liz Olson highlighted the “resilience, community, and enduring human spirit” exemplified by the success of High Country Humane Shelter through the challenges of the Covid pandemic. The Shelter continues to thrive, and our residents are fortunate indeed to have this facility in our community.

Home – High Country Humane Animal Shelter in Flagstaff

Miss Cleo’s Tea Party is a treasured Flagstaff event hosted by the Southside Community Association at the historic Murdoch Center. Supervisor Horstman was pleased to join the community in remembering and honoring Miss Cleo Murdoch, whose commitment to equal education for African American children was integral to the successful desegregation of our local school system.

After a five year hiatus, the Fiesta de Mayo returned to the Sunnyside neighborhood. The Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, together with other sponsors, including the Board of Supervisors, were able to bring live music, carnival attractions, and performances to Fiesta de Mayo located at the Coconino Community Lone Tree campus. The Fiesta de Mayo celebrated the diversity of Coconino County and provided family-friendly fun.

Coconino County Deputy Manager and Flood Control District Administrator Lucinda Andreani was awarded the 2024 Community Phoenix Award at the 2024 After the Flames Conference in Estes Park, Colorado. Wildfire specialists from across the nation recognized Andreani for her leadership in post-wildfire flood response in Coconino County. Her many years of dedicated service focused on solution-oriented approaches to both wildfire recovery and forest restoration stood out from the 20 nominees for this award.

Andreani and the Flood Control District continue the comprehensive post-wildfire work begun immediately following the 2022 Pipeline and Tunnel Fires. To date, the District has secured over $160 million in funding from federal, state, and local resources, and implemented over $50 million in extensive post-wildfire flood mitigation. Readers of this newsletter will know that this involves roughly 240 acres of watershed restoration, 254 flood control structures, 37,000 feet of channel stabilization, and some 3 miles of neighborhood floodwater conveyance structures.

Established in 2019, the Phoenix Award amplifies outstanding contributions and program impacts in post-wildfire recovery and restoration. Just as the phoenix of legend rises from the ashes, recipients of the award demonstrate tireless devotion to helping communities do that in reality. Under Andreani’s leadership, Coconino County continues to recover from past wildfires and build resilience for future catastrophic events. The Flames Conference and Workshop and the Phoenix Award are sponsored by the Colorado-based non-profit Coalitions and Collaboratives organization.

In Remembrance of Paul Babbitt, Jr

We recently lost a giant of a man, Paul Babbitt, Jr. Paul was born into a pioneering Flagstaff family with a firm passion for public service and a need to give back. Paul, who like Supervisor Horstman, represented District 1 on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, served on the Board from 1986 to 2004. Before that, he served as a member of the Flagstaff City Council from 1976 to 1984 and was elected Flagstaff Mayor from 1980 to 1984.

His family’s long history in Northern Arizona dating back to the late 1800s and his participation in the family businesses, including ranching, general stores, and trading posts, gave Babbitt a deep understanding of rural and Northern Arizona. Babbitt was a smart and serious man, one who knew how to chuckle at himself. His kind manner and listening skills put people at ease. His passion for public service was only exceeded by his passion and love for his family. His wife Mary, and children Marney and Paul were always his number 1 priority.

We are a better people and a better community due to Paul’s legacy.